Brazil · Traditional percussion instrument making
Caixas de Marabaixo
The making of caixas de Marabaixo — the traditional drums central to Marabaixo, the Afro-Brazilian musical, dance, and religious tradition of Mazagão Velho and the wider quilombola community of Amapá state, Brazil's northernmost state on the equatorial Amazon coast. Quilombola artisan Roniclei Silveira, of Mazagão Velho, has worked in craft production for 26 years, using regional materials to build the drums that anchor Marabaixo's living performance tradition. Silveira has represented Amapá state craft at national exhibitions including the 17th Salão do Artesanato in Brasília, presenting alongside clay, wood, vine, seed, and scale-based work from the state's indigenous, riverine (ribeirinho), and quilombola communities, part of a formal government program placing Amapá artisans at major national fairs including the 24th Fenearte in Pernambuco, considered Latin America's largest craft exhibition.
Risk level: Vulnerable · Not Applicable — no UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage inscription exists for this specific craft at time of writing
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